Playing softball her whole life and now on the Potomac Falls Varsity softball team, with a .3.75 batting average, 9 total home runs, and a 67 mph overhand throw velocity, freshman Lyla Daugherty-Moysey has earned her spot on the team and on National Ranks. 

For freshman Lyla Daugherty-Moysey, sports have been her whole life. Being a tri-athlete student at Potomac Falls High School, she takes on volleyball in the fall, track in the winter and softball in the spring. 

Daugherty-Moysey plays outfielder and considers it as her main position. “One day my mom randomly signed me up for it, and I ended up loving it,” said Daugherty-Moysey  

Starting her first year of high school strong, Daugherty-Moysey made the varsity softball team. “I’m really happy and thankful that I made varsity because I can play with different people and become a better player,” said Daugherty-Moysey. 

As of April 4, the varsity softball team has a record of 6-5.The first scrimmage of the season against Heritage for a team turned out to be a loss, but that did not stop Daugherty-Moysey’s motivation to be better. “It was a good time to figure out where everyone was as a team and what we need to improve on this season,” said Daugherty-Moysey. “Consistency is key for improvement and also getting a different perspective on how I play.” 

A couple of Daugherty-Moysey achievements include her nine career total home runs. “I felt so proud of myself afterwards.” Last summer on her travel team, Daugherty-Moysey made an inning-saving catch in the outfield that kept the game from ending early due to a mercy rule. “I feel like I helped my team a lot with those catches and that they can count on me to help get us out of touch situations.” And hitting a walk off triple that ultimately won the game. “I was so excited after I hit that and I felt like I made a huge difference in the game.” 

Daugherty-Moysey is ranked in the nation for her skills in center field, something she’s worked incredibly hard to achieve.  “[Being nationally ranked] shows me that even if I’m down or in a slump, I’ve proven to other people that I can be a good player.” 

For Daugherty-Moysey, being nationally ranked is one huge step closer to playing for her dream college, University of Virginia and going on to become a D1 softball player. “There’s  definitely a lot more pressure when playing in front of a scout, they not only look at how you play but also look at your attitude during the game,” said Daughtery-Moysey. “If you make an error, they look at how you recover from it and how you handle certain scenarios in the game.” 

Daugherty-Moysey has also been a valuable team player on and off the team, bringing good spirits to the team, even after a loss.  “Lyla has always been super bubbly and uplifting and always manages to keep a smile on her face even when things don’t go as planned,” said Daugherty-Moysey’s teammate, junior Zariah Ricks. “She brings a positive attitude and as a freshman she doesn’t let playing with 18 year olds get the best of her which I really like. She definitely deserves being nationally ranked, she’s a great softball player and for her to be nationally ranked as a freshman is amazing.” 

Daugherty-Moysey has been playing on her travel team Fury Platinum Dooley. “I play on an ‘A team’ which requires a lot of commitment. There’s definitely more traveling and competition,” said Daugherty-Moysey. 

In his first year of coaching Varsity softball, Coach Josh Chand has high hopes for Daugherty-Moysey. “What I see from her is, maximum effort every single time she is on the field.” 

In the short time the two have known each other, Chand has made a connection with Daugherty-Moysey built on mutual respect. “She is a perfectionist. If her last rep isn’t a good one, she is not happy and she wants to do it again which I like a lot,” said Chand. “She has been a lighting rod for our team because all the girls can see what she is able to do.”

One word that Daugherty-Moysey would use to describe her current softball career is “fun.” “With everything I have going on in my life, whether it’s school stressing me out or other problems, I can count on softball to lift my mood and take my mind off certain things,” said Daughtery-Moysey.